Demetrious Johnson Wants To Fight Next Month

UFC Flyweight Champion Demetrious Johnson is one successful title defense away from tying the title defense record set by former UFC Middleweight Champion Anderson Silva.

The UFC record for the most consecutive title defenses is 10. Johnson wants to compete at UFC On Fox 24 this April in Kansas City and bring those close to him to the show so they can watch him make history.

“My next fight is set to tie Anderson Silva's record for the most consecutive title fight defenses in UFC history,” Johnson told MMA Fighting. “I put it out in the media and to UFC, immediately after my last fight, that I wanted to do it in Las Vegas in March. Unfortunately, the next guy in line was fighting in February, so it had to be pushed back. Ideally, I would like to do it in Las Vegas where family, friends and followers can attend and witness history being made, as I attempt to reach the greatest pinnacle in mixed martial arts, while remaining the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the world. The next date the UFC matchmaker gave me is April 15 in Kansas City. I don't want to wait all the way until July for another Las Vegas card before I fight again, so west coast friends, family and followers would have to travel a little further, but Kansas City is doable, and I'm sure it's going to be a hungry crowd in attendance. I'm ready to do this on April 15 on Fox and pay my respects to one of the greatest fighters of all time by tying his record and joining him in history.”

The UFC Flyweight Champion stated he would like to fight Wilson Reis for the gold. They were originally set to clash at UFC 201 until Johnson suffered an injury and the fight was canceled. The fight couldn't be rescheduled, as Johnson was already slated to face the winner of TUF 24.